Latest works from the West Fork Ranch

Studies done on Mahogany veneer. A trick I picked up from crazy artist, fish biologist and back country skier Peter Corbit of Slocan, BC. Peter has a romance going with the back country. A great guide whether skiing or painting. The wood panel sucks up the medium and it is like painting watercolor. I use only paint thinner. I've been studying Richard Schmid's "Alla Prima, all I know about Painting" which I highly recommend to everyone. Schmid has had enormous influence on representational painters today. I'm always running into reference to him. You can buy his books cheaper than anywhere else on

studio work

This is a studio painting, 16x20. Compared to Plein Air, alla prima work it's difficult to know when to quit. I'm not happy with what I've got here although it was fun. Too much detail. The colors seem right but the sky is a little blue. I love to paint skies. I could do nothing but paint sky and have done so. Constable called it 'Skying'. During Constable's time, 1820's, the science of meterology was just developing. That's a pretty amazing thought. I guess science is always just discovering new things but back then they were just discovering clouds disignated weather and there were layers of the atmosphere. Probably something sailors and farmers have always known. There's a great online show at the National Gallery in Wa DC on constables big landscapes and studies.
Otter Bay on Mt. Desert Island is part of Acadia Park There are many private holdings within the park, such as this location where the Otter Bay Association keeps this Lobster Shack.
It was a great place to paint in the stormy, cold weather of October. I was on the lee ward side and out of the wind. When it got too bad I could find shelter in the shack. I've got lots of photos of all the gear laying around for more pictures. I hope to get back to drive horses for Wildwood Stables and Ed Winterberg who has a carriage concession in the Park. He's took up the challenge of refurbishing the 55 miles of carriage roads that David Rockefeller built in an effort to protect the scenic beauty of the Island. If you get a chance you should visit. Lots of artists with their easels set up. Another good stop is Argossy Gallery. Pretty high quality of paintings. www.argosygallery.com.

"West Fork Cottonwoods" 11"x14" sold

It's great to be able to step off the back porch and have such luscious scenery to paint. This is in the back pasture of our West Fork ranch. No internet as yet so there's no distractions in the studio.
It's difficult to blog everyday. Once a week is hard enough. I found a great blog and website that I'll put a link on my page to, http://www.dailypainters.com, check it out. It's a great place to blog with other painters and see their work. Whoever organized it is providing a great service. Kudo's to them.

Cameras don't get it.

Study; Lobster Shack #1
Study Lobster Shack #2


I've started a painting in the studio of "The Lobster Shack". It was a great find. I've got both watercolor and oil studies as well as lots of digital pix. I found the camera can't pick up the colors I thought were there. Maybe I haven't set up the camera right or maybe I see more nuances than the camera. Probably both. The studio painting is going fast because I 'have a plan'. I'm particularly interested in the painting as a finished product. So much different than plein air where I never get it completely done and don't paint on them afterward. I miss the spontenaity that 'alla prima' painting outdoors accomplishes but I am discovering new techniques and ability to 'see'. Studio painting is dangerous because it is about painting what you know rather than what you see. I hope that the work I have done in Plein Air has built my visual vocabulary suffinciently that I can 'wing' it in the studio.
There will probably be a series of these paintings as I've got some things to try. My goal is to have 50 paintings with considerable consistency by next spring so that for the purpose of a resume'.

Pleinair studies of Arcadia NP, Desert Island, ME

We were at the famous Desert Island where Cole, Fredrick Church, and other artists since the early 1800's have painted.
I found a lobsterman's shack, owned by Otter Creek society, in Otter Bay where Church had stood on the opposite shore and painted a scene of Cadillac Mt. I visited this site many times in the next few days. It was on the leeward side of the head and consequently was in shadow most of the day but was out of the wind.
We had a storm that put most of the power out in Maine. The waves were fantastic but hard on the eyes. My eyes got bloodshot, probably from the salt as much as anything. The wind blew across the tops of the waves that were coming in diaganolly causing spray to drift as much as a mile inland. I had to hold my easle in one hand as I painted leaning into the wind. I went to the Thrift store and bought extra clothes and finally ended up wearing goggles.
I'd never been to the east coast. They say you are the first one to greet the sun hitting the N. American continent from the top of 1500' Cadillac Mt. The first inhabitants were Native American of course. A tribe called Abanake's. Called the place the 'sloping land'. The French found 'Sommes Sound' and harried the British who were supporting the Colonies. Then those that propspered from the Civil War located their summer mansions here until there were 229 mansions that later burned in a 10000 acre fire.



Those that cared got around to preserving the place and created the Acadia National Park. The first NP created in the east. All the others were created by congress in the west to guard against the nouveau wealthy from purchasing Yellowstone and Yosemite and loggging them. Artists were important in pursuading Congress to make these parks. Thomas Moran Painted such wonerful paintings that the Congress went the distance and not only made the parks but put his painting in the Hall of Statues, elevating the landscape as a national treasure. Not only does nature nuture artists but artists nurture nature.
Rockelfellers contributed a lot in real estate and built more than 50 miles of horse drawn carriage roads to guard against intrusion by the automobile and the hordes of NY. Oddly enough the Rockefeller's fortune was from Standard Oil and the auto was to be their fortune. They didn't want to see their Eden spoiled and thought they could mandate carriages only. It worked to a point but had to end when the public got a shot at paradise when it was made a park by Congress. Ol' Teddy Roosevelt, blue nose that he was, had to allow that the only way the place could get on the national registry if John Q Public had a share in it.
I have to think that there were some mighty fine rigs with some pretty spiffy horses steaming down the carriage trails, taking in the sights and doing picnics in some pretty awesome scenery. From the sound of it their were some major summers spent by the well healed and their cadre of artists and writers. It must be the earliest American Art Colony.
The storm had not yet abated but sitting in the canyon as Duck Brook cascaded under the Bridge was a little better than standing in a full gale on the headlands. Duck Brook drains the Eagle Lake area. It provides water to the community of Bar Harbor. There's an old riveted wrought iron pipe about 14" in diameter that runs off through the oaks and beech from a large water tower filled from the lake. The place was self sustaining if you didn't have to get along on LOBSTER for heaven's sake. Until recently Lobster has been considered the 'hotdog' of the working class. You wouldn't know it today what with the price of a lobster tail in a restaurant fetching $20. We payed $5 lb and a 'chicken' was about 1 1/4 lbs. We ate an estimated 19 soft shell bugs (that's what the 'down easter' Aaron called 'em. Lobster are soft shell just after they molt. Hardshell afterwards. They come into the shallower warm water to molt and then proceed to deeper water while the logstermen chase them out as far as 20 miles. They used to only put out a trap per buoy but now have 'trawls' that set out as many as 50 buoys. A commercial lobsterman may have a permit for 500 traps. Hard dangerous work. In Gloucester (pronounced Gloster) over 5000 fishermen have died. Each of their names are memorialized in City Hall. I found all this out by reading Mark Williams book "FV, Black Sheep". It's a randy tale of how it really is, no holds barred. Good job, "Mahhhk".

Winter is here. My plan is to hold up in my new studio and work. I've got tons of plein air paintings and water colors. I noticed today that the digital photos I took don't come close to the color my sketching recorded. I guess the studio paintings will be a happy medium between the two methods.

Hope to get back there and maybe drive some horses and do some more sketching.

Maine, the most Awesome Vacation!

I gotta hit the ground running and catch up on things. Got a lot of paintings to do and things to share. I'll be back to fill you in soon.
Thanks to all the good people in Maine that made our vacation such a wonderful thing.
This is the veiw from the cabin in South West Harbor on Desert Island, ME where we stayed for the week and I painted in the Acadia National Park. It was an awesome time!

Off to paint fall colors in Maine

I've been neglecting my blog. This is an Plein Air oil 11x14 on veneer that I did while fishing on the St. Mary's River in BC Canada. My horselogging partner and I chased Rocky Mt Cutthroat in this spectacular landscape. I never took down my easel for four days painting one picture looking at the sunrise and this one looking at the sun setting on the eastern face of the Purcells. It was great fishing until the Kokanee came up from the lake and chased all the cutthroat away. Since the Kokanee were there to spawn they weren't biting but it was a once in a life time experience to watch the green glacial waters turn crimson with Redfish!
I'm off to paint fall colors in Maine as well as eat a lot of lobster and drink champaign. Tough life! but somebodies got to do it.
Betts and I are headed to Bar Harbor, MA and will meet friends Kate and Peter there where we will rent a place for a week. We'll stop off in Boston and take in some of the museums. I'm hungry for some 'good' art. Some masterpieces that will ramp up my aspirations. It's like playing music with another musician that is much better than yourself and makes you better by association.
I've been painting the fall colors in the Sanpoil which are glorious and will be hard to compete with. I just came from a meeting on the coast and the fall colors around Mt. Rainier, especially the big oaks around the cow pastures of Randall were hard to pass up. I did a little sketch of Rainier from Chinook Pass just because it was clear and I wanted the landmark in my journal.

too much going on!

Grandbabies, Kaiden and Cashton
Had to put my grandbabies in the blog. Definately the most important happening in my life as well as son Bradley Paige, who went to college and evidently learned how to make babies. Wonder how many credits that's worth. Thanks Paiger and Crystal. Love you lots and look forward to hearing of the twin's adventures. Paybacks are Great!
Much has been happening although not enough painting. Fall colors are here and I am excited to see what happens. I'm looking forward to pursuing the look that everyone thought was so exceptional at shows this summer. Technique that reflects the energy that nature exerts on temperment. It's my duty as an artist to be open, take risk and push the envelope.

Mobile Marketing

I hit the road with my partner Betty Sue to do some 'Mobile Marketing'. Mobile marketing is simply hitting the road and going to whatever venue fits our product which is artwork and local crafts. Verizon sponsored a trailer and some road funds and our first stop was a trial experience at the Taste of Edmunds street fair. We had 75,000 people go by the tent and paid expenses but learned that food fairs aren't a place for fine art as well as a lot of other marketing lessons. We're off to Chelan, WA which is a small fine arts venue. Lots of new homes and wineries up there. We'll see if folks are in the mood to invest in fine art.

Annual Snow Peak Firewood trip

Son Paige and I packed into the Snow Peak Shelter on Sherman Pass. Most every year we go up and skid firewood for the USFS. It was a hot day 95 degrees. The skids were long and uphill but we managed to put up about 3 cords. It's a great shelter with propane stove and solar powered lights. It seems to be used mostly in the winter by skiers that hike the 3 miles into the shelter.